Willow, a Tutorial

Here's a tutorial on how I made my "Willow" art quilt for the SAQA Benefit Auction.

Background fabric.

Patches fabric.

Patches fabric with fusible on the back.

Background fabric that I marked into a 1.25" grid on the diagonal.

1" square patches being cut from the patches fabric.

Square patches transferred to background fabric and kept in correct placement.

More square patches transferred to background fabric. 

All the patches in place and fused to the background.

Layer the top, batting and backing and begin quilting.

Add more quilting, and more quilting, and more quilting.

Keep adding lines of quilting until they are +/- 1/8" apart.

Audition fabric for a silhouette.

Sketch of bouquet.

Fuse dark brown silhouette fabric to fusible.

Cut willow tree parts from paper and audition for placement.

Audition dark brown and gold leaves.

Audition dark brown and white leaves.

Decide to go with all dark brown silhouette.

Fuse tree and leaves in place.

Cut and make more leaves.

Fuse everything in place.

Free motion quilt the tree and leaves.

Continue quilting.

All quilted and ready for trimming.

Trimmed to 12" square. Facings are cut and the long edges ironed down.

Ready to apply the facings.

Facings are pinned to the front and ready to be sewed, turned to the back, and finished with hand stitching.

Finished front.

The back with hanging sleeve and label.

Ready to mail to SAQA.